Characterization of Bimetallic Systems with UPS and PAX: Gold on Platinum and Palladium Surfaces

In the present study the thermal behavior of ultrathin Au films deposited on different noble metal single crystal surfaces was studied by means of ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy and photoemission of adsorbed xenon. The primary goal of this work was to demonstrate the power of photoemission of adsorbed xenon as an easy to handle and very surface sensitive technique for the characterization of multi-component systems. All investigated systems, Au-Pt(111), Au-Pd(111) and Au-Pd(110) show a particular dependence of their electronic and structural properties on the annealing temperature. Au multilayer films with a thickness of 3 monolayer prepared at 150 K undergo in all cases a smoothening by annealing up to room temperature. While on Pd this effect is mainly detectable on the topmost atomic layer the ordering process on Pt is also affecting the deeper layers. Further annealing of the Au-Pd system to 450 K and the Au-Pt system to 750 K, respectively, results in the onset of the alloying process at the interface between metal film and substrate. After annealing to 650 and 950 K, respectively, the alloying finally extends to the very surface. The complete loss of Au from the surface can be detected at 1050 K on Pd and at 1150 K on Pt. The orientation of the substrate has only a weak influence, showing up e.g. in additional electronic states of the not alloyed Au-Pd(111) and Au-Pd(111) systems. Adsorption of CO as a probe molecule illustrates the formation of different adsorption sites on the bimetallic systems during the Au diffusion process.